Two leading players in inland shipping, VEKA Group and Deen Shipping B.V., have joined forces and combined their experiences to develop the small scale LNG market under the name VEKA DEEN LNG. This collaboration, commencing with development of an inland LNG carrier design, is a leap forward in the realization of an inland LNG transport corridor and facilitates LNG bunkering.
During the second day of the ‘Construction & Shipping Industry’ trade fair in Gorinchem two major players in inland shipping signed a collaboration agreement and revealed the first product of their collaboration, an innovative carrier design for inland transportation of LNG. This new tanker has a length of 86 metres, width of 10.5 metres and will be able to transport 2,250 cubic meters of LNG.
The vessel is proposed to have a 3,285 kW generator for LNG propulsion and a 1,500 kW emergency diesel generator. The cargo tanks are equipped with special insulation to reduce ‘boil off’, with no more than about 0.2% of the liquid cargo converted into gas. This gas is captured and converted into energy for both propulsion and electrical power.
“The GATE terminal on the Maasvlakte in Rotterdam is the first and still only LNG import terminal in the Netherlands,” says project manager Wout van Wijnen in March this year. “We expect that in the next few years a number of smaller terminals will be realized upstream on the Rhine and Danube. Then LNG barges will be needed to supply these and VEKA can deliver such tankers.”
He also explained VEKA has prepared a concept for inland transport LNG tanker of 3,000 cubic meters which will be narrow enough to sail through to Basel in Switzerland.
With their joint forces and experience in shipbuilding, shipping and LNG transport, both companies foresee a very promising collaboration, and look forward to the construction of their first inland LNG carrier. VEKA was the first Holland based shipyard to deliver a seagoing LNG carrier with LNG propulsion (Pioneer Knutsen). Deen Shipping has developed, and operates the world’s first LNG propelled inland tanker (Argonon).
(Source: Veka Group)
